Refrigerator containers for freight transportation systems



May 16, 1961 P. TALMEY ETAL REFRIGERATOR CONTAINERS FOR FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 d 5 S39 STA/Ev m W T. N W E m 0 V wv as 3 @NUMQ 5h w EK vmm m g M w: m mu m g IJ MM 3 S Q E E v O J W MT WW B I UHQ.\S

S 5 Mi g 5 g g r W @q N K 3 Filed Aug. 19 1959 Mm m May 16, 1961 P. TALMEY ETAL REFRIGERATOR CONTAINERS FOR FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS May 16, 1961 P. TALMEY ETAL 2,984,084

REFRIGERATOR CONTAINERS FOR FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS Filed Aug. 19, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. 7

FIG. 9

INVENTOR. Paul Ta/mey BY Doug/as 0. Baird May 16, 1961 P. TALMEY ETAL 2,984,084

REFRIGERATOR CONTAINERS FOR FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS Filed Aug. 19, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Paul 7E1/mey Douglas 0. Baird 0 3,4 Arr s.

United States Patent C) REFRIGERATOR CONTAINERS FOR FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS Paul Talmey, Barrington, and Douglas 0. Baird, Skokie, Ill., assignors to General American Transportation Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of New York Filed Aug. 19, 1959, Ser. No. 834,775

14 Claims. (Cl. 62-239) The present invention relates to refrigerator containers for freight transportation systems, and more particularly to such refrigerator containers for freight transportation systems of the character disclosed in the copending application of Deodat Clejan, Serial No. 813,957, filed May 18, 1959.

It is a general object of the invention to provide a refrigerator containerthat is adapted to be removably mounted and secured in place in a ready manner upon the frame of a vehicle, such as a road semi-trailer, a railway car, or the like, in a freight transportation system.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fully demountable refrigerator container for the frame of a vehicle in a freight transportation system, wherein the refrigerator container comprises structure defining a lading chamber and a machinery compartment that are heatinsulated with respect to each other, and refrigerating machinery that is fully demountable with respect to the machinery compartment.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a freight transportation system, a fully demountable refrigerator container, that, in turn, comprises fully demountable refrigerating machinery, wherein the refrigerating machinery may be readily replaced or removed with respect to the refrigerator container, when the refrigerator container occupies either its mounted position or its demounted position with respect to an associated vehicle of the freight transportation system.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in a refrigerator containerof the character described, an

improved arrangement and disposition therein of a refrigerating machine, an internal combustion engine for driving the refrigerating machine and a fuel tank for supplying fuel to the internal combustion engine.

Further features of the invention pertain to the particular arrangement of the elements of the refrigerator container, whereby the above-outlined and additional operating features thereof are attained.

The invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational 'view of a freight transportation system embodying the present invention and including a highway semi-trailer carrying one of the refrigerator containers and a railway car carrying two of the refrigerator containers, and indicating the manner .in which one of the refrigerator containers may be transferred in either direction between the highway semi-trailer and the adjacent end of the railway car;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of one of the refrigerator containers, as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged end elevational view of the refrigerator container, as shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is another enlarged end elevational view, similar to Fig. 3, illustrating the disposition of the refrigerating machinery in the machinery compartment of the container;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sec- I tional view of the refrigerator container, taken in the direction of the arrows along the line 5-5 in Fig. 4, and further illustrating the arrangement of the refrigerating machinery both in the machinery compartment and in the lading compartment of the container;

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of the refrigerating machinery that is incorporated in the refrigerator container, and particularly illustrating the primary refrigerating apparatus and the secondary refrigerating apparatus thereof;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view, partly broken away, of the refrigerator container, as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, and illustrating the construction of the base thereof, including the depending rollers carried thereby;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary end elevational view, partly broken away, of the highway semi-trailer and the refrigerator container mounted thereon, as shown in Fig. 1, and illustrating the arrangement for securing the base of the refrigerator container to the frame of the highway semi-trailer;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary end elevational view, partly broken away, of the railway car and the refrigerator container mounted thereon, as shown in Fig. 1, and illustrating the arrangement for securing the base of the refrigerator container to the center sill of the railway car;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged side elevational view of a modified form of the refrigerator container, with respect to that shown in Fig. 1, this form of the container incorporating refrigerating machinery including only primary refrigerating apparatus; and

Fig. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the container of Fig. 10, illustrating the arrangement of the refrigerating machinery in the lading compartment therein.

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawings, there is shown a freight transportation system of the general character of that disclosed in the previously mentioned application of Deodat Clejan, Serial No. 813,957, and

essentially comprising a railway vehicle or car 20, a

highway vehicle 30 in the form of a semi-trailer, a highway tractor 40 and a number of refrigerator containers 100, each embodying the features of the present invention. Preferably, the railway car 20 is of the general construction of that disclosed in the copending application of Deodat Clejan, Serial No. 593,848, filed June 26, 1956, now Patent No. 2,944,492, July 12, 1960, and is, of course, adapted for travel over a conventional railway track, indicated at 50. The highway semi-trailer 30 is. of course, adapted for travel over a conventional highway, indicated at 60; and the highway semi-trailer 30 may be drawn along the highway 60 by the highway tractor 40, also traveling along the highway 60. The highway semi-trailer 30 is provided with a chassis 31 carrying rear road wheels 32, a front king pin, indicated at 33, and a front landing gear 33'; while the highway tractor 40 is provided with a chassis 41 carrying rear drive wheels 42 and front steering wheels 43. Also, the high way tractor 40 includes the usual drive motor or engine 44 and the drivers' cab 45; and the rear end of the chassis 41 carries the usual fifth-wheel mechanism, indicated at 46.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 9, the railway car 20 is of skeleton construction, comprising a longitudinally extend Patented May 16, 1961 by the trucks 22 and the railway track 50 are of standard gauge. As illustrated, the center sill 21 essentially com prises a pair of longitudinally extending and laterally spaced-apart I-beams 23 that are suitably tied together by a number of laterally extending and longitudinally spaced-apart cross members 24, each of which may comprise a short I-beam, as illustrated in Fig. 9. Of course, the opposite ends of the center sill 21 are provided with the usual laterally extending body bolsters, not shown, that are pivotally connected to the usual truck bolsters, not shown, carried by the trucks 22 by center pins, not shown, so as to accommodate articulation of the trucks 22 with respect to the opposite ends of the center -sill 21. The center sill 21 possesses the required rigidity for supporting four of the refrigerator containers 100, as indicated in Fig. l; and the usual car couplers, not shown, are mounted in the opposite ends of the center sill 21.

In the construction, the longitudinally extending center sill 21, consisting essentially of the two I-beams 23, and interconnecting the two trucks 22, is substantiallyv narrower than the standard gauge of the railway track 50, so that the sides of the center sill 21 are disposed well inwardly with respect to the adjacent sides of the trucks 22. Also the top flanges 25 of the I-beams 23 cooperate to provide the rails of an auxiliary track provided on the top of the center sill 21; which auxiliary track, defined by the rails 25, is of a gauge essentially narrower than the standard gauge of the railway track 50.

Before. proceeding with further description of the railway car '20, it is first noted that each of the refrigerator containers 100 comprises, as shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, a rigid underframe 101 that carries two longitudinally spaced-apart pairs of laterally spaced-apart low rollers 102. More particularly, each of the rollers 102 is provided with a flange that is disposed adjacent to the outer side thereof; whereby each pair of laterally spaced-apart roll: ers 102 is inwardly facing and of the narrow gauge of the auxiliary track provided on the top of the center sill 21 by the flanges 25 of the I-beams 23, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 9. Accordingly, the refrigerator container 100 is supported upon the top of the .center sill 21 by the four low rollers 102 and may be readily rolled longitudinally along the top of the center sill 21 upon the rollers 102 and with the rollers 102 disposed in straddling relation with the rails 25 of the auxiliary track provided on the top of the center sill 21. The longitudinal rolling movement of the refrigerator container 100 along the top of the center sill 21 is guided by the two pairs of inwardly facing flanged rollers 102, the flanges thereof cooperating with the adjacent outer sides of the outwardly directed portions of the flanges 25 for the guide purposes in an obviousmanner. Also, in each of the refrigerator containers 100, the rigid underframe 101 comprises a pair of longitudinally extending and laterally spaced-apart tie-down bars 103 that are employed for a purpose more fully explained hereinafter.

Returning now to the construction of the railway car 20, the center sill 21 also carries four longitudinally spaced-apart tie-down shock-absorber mechanisms 26, as indicated in Fig. 1. Each of the mechanisms 26 comprises, as best shown in Fig. 9, two longitudinally extending and laterally spaced-apart shafts 27 respectively mounted upon suitable brackets '28 respectively secured to the upper portions of the Webs of the two I-beams 23; whereby the shafts 27 are disposed within the hollow center sill 21 adjacent to the upper portions of the webs of the I-beams 23 and immediately below the inwardly directed portions of the flanges 25 thereof. Each of the shafts 27 is mounted for both rotary movement and longitudinal sliding movements in the associated mounting bracket 28; and each of the shafts 27 carries one or more hooks 29 rigidly secured thereto and movable therewith. The mechanism 26 also comprises manually operable means, not shown, for simultaneously rotating the two shafts 27 in opposite directions with respect to 4 each other; whereby the shafts 27, may be rotated away from each other in order to move the hooks 29 out of the hollow center sill 21 and into operated positions disposed above the flanges 25 and engaging the tie-down bars 103 carried by the underframe 101 of the associated refrigerator container 100, as illustrated in Fig. 9; and whereby the shafts 27 may be rotated toward each other in order to move the hooks 29 back into the hollow center sill 21 and thus into retracted positions disengaging the cooperating tie-down bars 103 carried by the underframe 101 of the associated refrigerator container 100.

The hooks 29 in their operated positions, as illustrated in Fig. 9, secure the associated refrigerator container to the mechanism 26; which mechanism 26 also incorporates shock-absorber equipment, not shown; whereby the refrigerator container 100, while secured to the associated mechanism 26, is capable of limited longitudinal movements along the auxiliary track provided by the flanges 25 on the top of the center sill 21; which limited longitudinal rolling movements are resiliently damped by the shock-absorber equipment incorporated in the mech anism 26, thereby to prevent the transmission of any severe longitudinal shocks between the center sill 21 of the railway car 20 and the underframe 101 of the cooperating refrigerator container 100.

Of course, when the mechanism 26 is operated to move the hooks 29 into their retracted positions, releasing the underframe 101 of the associated refrigerator container 100, the refrigerator container 100 may be rolled longitudinally along the auxiliary track provided on the top of the center sill 21 of the railway car 20 without interference with the hooks 29, since the hooks 29 in their retracted positions are disposed within the hollow center sill 21. Thus, it will be understood that when the mechanism 26 is operated to move the books 29 into their retracted positions, the refrigerator container 100 may be readily rolled along the auxiliary track provided on the top of the center sill 21 for the loading and unloading purpose, the refrigerator container 100 rolling along the auxiliary track mentioned upon the four rollers 102 carried by the underframe 101 thereof, as previously noted. In passing, it is mentioned that in loading the refrigerator container 100 upon the railway car 20, it is brought into proper cooperating position with respect to one of the four associated mechanisms 26; whereupon the mechanism 26 mentioned is actuated from its retracted position into its operated position for the purpose of providing the operative connection between the refrigerator container 100 and the center sill 21; which operative connection includes the combined tie-down and shockabsorber functions of the mechanism 26, as previously explained.

Returning now to the construction of the highway semi-trailer 30, and referring to Figs. 1 and 8, the upper portion of the chassis 31 comprises an elongated rigid structure that includes a pair of longitudinally extending and laterally spaced-apart channels 34 that are suitably interconnected at the front and rear ends thereof; which channels 34 provide a pair of longitudinally extending and laterally spaced-apart rails 35 upon the tops thereof constituting an auxiliary track of the same narrow gauge as that of the low rollers 102 carried by the underframe 101 of the refrigerator container 100. The structure mentioned carried by the top of the chassis 31, including the channels 34, is hollow, and carries mechanism 35 for selectively latching in place the underframe 101 of the refrigerator container 100 when it is supported upon the rails 35 by the low rollers 102, as illustrated in Fig. 8. Specifically, the mechanism 35 comprises two longitudinally spaced-apart pairs of laterally spaced-apart and pivotally mounted hooks 36 that are selectively operative to engage and to disengage the tie-down bars 103 carried by the underframe 101 of the refrigerator container 100. The, mechanism 35 is manually operated by an arrangement including an opeiatiii'g handle 36 that is feadily accessible from one side of the chassis. 31. When the handle 36 occupies its retracted position, as illustrated in Fig. 8, the mechanism 35 is actuated to project the hooks 36 from the hollow structure 31 above the rails 35 and into latching engagement with the tie-down bars 103; and when the handle 36 occupies its extended or withdrawn position, not illustrated, the mechanism 35 is actuated to withdraw the hooks 36 from engagement with the tie-down bars 103 and into the hollow structure 31. Further, the mechanism 35 comprises a tension spring 37 that normally biases the hooks 36 into their operated positions in engagement with the tie-down bars 103, as illustrated in Fig. 8. Accordingly, it will be understood that when the mechanism 35 occupies its operative position retracting the hooks 36, the underframe 101 of the refrigerator container 100 may be readily rolled along the rails 35 of the auxiliary track provided on the top of the chassis 31, so as to accommodate placement or removal, as desired, of the refrigerator container 100 with respect to the chassis 31. After the underframe 101 of the refrigerator container 100 has been placed in proper supported position upon the chassis 31, the mechanism 35 is actuated by the handle 36 into its operative position, illustrated in Fig. 8, so as to project the hooks 36 into cooperating latching engagements with the tie-down bars 103, thereby securely to latch the underframe 1 of the refrigerator container 100 in place in its supported position upon the chassis 31 of the highway semi-trailer 30.

In view of the foregoing descriptions of the construction and arrangement of the railway car 20 and the highway semi-trailer 30, it will be understood that the refrigerator container 100 may be readily moved or transferred between the units 20 and 30 in either direction when the rear end of the highway semi-trailer 30 is arranged adjacent to and in alignment with the end of the railway car 20, so that the auxiliary track provided on the top of the chassis 31 is disposed in a contiguous position with respect to the auxiliary track provided on the top of the center sill 21. Thus, it will be appreciated that the refrigerator containers 100 may be readily loaded and unloaded, as required, between the railway car 20 and the highway semi-trailer 30. Of course, it will be understood that the highway semi-trailer 30 is drawn along the highway 60 by the tractor 40 due to the coupling between the king pin 33 carried at the front end of the highway semi-trailer 30 and the fifth-wheel mechanism 46 carried by the rear end of the tractor 40; all in a conventional manner.

Considering now in greater detail, the construction and arrangement of the underframe 101 of the refrigerator container 100, and referring more particularly to Figs. 7, 8 and 9, the underframe 101 essentially comprises a pair of longitudinally extending and laterally spaced-apart side sills 104, a pair of laterally extending and longitudinally spaced-apart end sills 105 and a plurality of laterally extending and longitudinally spaced-apart intermediate sills 106, as well as the previously mentioned longitudinally extending and laterally spaced-apart tie bars 103. The laterally extending sills 105 and 106 are provided with longitudinally aligned saddles in the central portions thereof, as indicated at 107 in Figs. 8 and 9; the longitudinally extending tie bars 103 are arranged above the saddles 107; and the pairs of laterally spaced-apart low rollers 102 are arranged within the saddles 107 and adjacent to the laterally spaced-apart opposite sides thereof. Accordingly, the composite saddle 107 provided in the underframe 102 is substantially cent-rally disposed and longitudinally extending; whereby the same straddles the upper portion of the supporting vehicle 30 and 20, as respectively shown in Figs. 8 and 9; whereby the bottom of the underframe 101 is disposed below the plane of the rails of the auxiliary track provided on the top of the sup porting vehicle; which arrangement provides a low center of gravity of the refrigerator container 100 and facilitates ready placement and removal of the refrigerator container 100 with respect to the associated auxiliary track provided upon the supporting vehicle, since the saddle 107 straddles the rails of the auxiliary track of the supporting vehicle and serves the guide function with respect thereto, together with the low rollers 102 arranged within the composite saddle 107. Further, in the underfrarne 101, the elements 104, 105 and 106 may essentially comprise prefabricated steel channel sections; and also a floor 108 is provided that may be formed of sheet steel and that is carried upon the top surfaces of the elements 104, 105 and 106.

Referring now to Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5, the under-frame 102 carries an elongated substantially box-like body that includes a metal outer shell providing a pair of upstanding longitudinally extending and laterally spaced-apart side walls 111 and a pair of upstanding laterally extending and longitudinally spaced-apart end walls 112 and 113 and a substantially horizontal roof 114, the lower edges of the walls 111, 112 and 113 being suitably secured to the floor 108. Hereinafter, the end walls 112 and 113 are respectively referred to as the front end wall and as the rear end wall; and arranged within the metal outer shell is an upstanding laterally extending heat-insulating wall 115 that is spaced forwardly of the rear wall 113, so as to provide both a machinery compartment 116 in the upper rear end of the metal outer shell and a fuel storage compartment 117 in the lower rear end of the metal outer shell, the compartments 116 and 117 being separated from each other by a substantially horizontally disposed imperforate steel plate 118 extending between the rear wall 113 and the heat-insulating wall 115. Also, other heat-insulating walls 119, 120 and 121, etc., are arranged within the central and front portion of the metal outer shell and cooperate with the heat-insulating wall to define a lading chamber 122 disposed in the central and front end portions of the metal outer shell; whereby the lading chamber 122 is heat-insulated both from the exterior and from the compartments 116 and 117. As illustrated in Fig. 5, the rear portion of the lading chamber 122 is bounded by the heat-insulating walls 115, 119, 120, 121, etc.; the heat-insulating wall 119 being disposed inwardly of the roof 114, the heat-insulating wall 120 being disposed inwardly of the floor 108, and the heat-insulating wall 121 being disposed inwardly of one of the side walls 111.

Incorporated in the refrigerator container 100 is refrigerating equipment 200, schematically illustrated in .Fig. 6, and comprising a primary refrigerating apparatus and a secondary refrigerating apparatus. More particularly, the primary refrigerating apparatus includes a compressor 20]., a condenser 202, a receiver 203, a heat exchanger 204, an expansion valve 205 and an evaporator 206. The outlet of the compressor 201 is connected by a conduit 207 to the inlet of the primary condenser 202, and the outlet of the primary condenser 202 is connected by a conduit 208 to the inlet of the primary receiver 203. The outlet of the primary receiver 203 is connected by a conduit 209 to the inlet of a coil 210 arranged in the envelope of the heat exchanger 204; and the outlet of the coil 210 is connected by a conduit 211 to the inlet of the primary evaporator 206. The outlet of the primary evaporator 206 is connected by a conduit 212 to the inlet of the envelope of the heat exchanger 204, and the outlet of the envelope of the heat exchanger 204 is connected by a conduit 213 to the inlet of the compressor 201. The expansion valve 205 is included in the conduit 211 and is provided with a thermal bulb 214 arranged in heat exchange relation with the primary evaporator 206, the bulb 214 controlling the opening of the expansion valve 205 in a conventional manner. More particularly, the secondary refrigerating apparatus includes a secondary condenser 221, a secondary receiver 222, a plurality of secondary evaporators 223 (three of the secondary evaporators 223 being ma s;

illustrated) and three corresponding expansion valves 224. The outlet of the secondary condenser 221 is connected by a conduit 225 to the inlet of the secondary receiver 222; and the outlet of the secondary receiver 222 is connected to a header 226 that supplies three parallel connected conduits 227 respectively extending to the inlets of the three secondary evaporators 223. The outlets of the three secondary evaporators 223 are respec tively connected to three conduits 228 that are connected to a header 229 that is connected to the inlet of the secondary condenser 221. The three expansion valves 224 are respectively arranged in the three conduits 227 and are respectively provided with thermal bulbs 230 that are respectively arranged in heat exchange relation with the three secondary evaporators 223-. Also the refrigerating equipment includes an electric circuit controller 240 that governs an electric switch 241 and that is provided with a manually settable temperature dial 242. Also the controller 240 is governed by a control arm 243 that is governed, in turn, by an expansible bellows 244 that is connected to a thermal bulb 245 that is arranged in heat exchange relation with the primary evaporator 206.

In the operation of the refrigerating equipment 200, the compressor 201 is driven by equipment more fully described hereinafter, so as to bring about the normal operation of the primary refrigerating apparatus to effect cooling of the primary evaporator 206 to a relatively low temperature as established by the controller 240 and as governed by the thermal responsive bulb 245 that is operatively associated with the primary evaporator 206. In turn, the primary evaporator 206 cools the secondary condenser 221 bringing about condensation of the refrigerant contained in the secondary refrigerating apparatus. For example, the secondary refrigerating apparatus may contain a suitable charge of dichlorodifiuoromethane (Freon F-12); whereby the gaseous refrigerant is condensed in the secondary condenser 221 and supplied to the secondary receiver 222. From the secondary receiver 222, the liquid refrigerant is supplied into the secondary evaporators 223 in parallel relationship and therein, the liquid refrigerant is evaporated, effecting corresponding cooling thereof; whereby the gaseous refrigerant is again returned to the secondary condenser 221 via the header 229. In the arrangement, each of the expansion valves 224 may be manually preset and is also governed by the associated thermal bulb 230; whereby the temperatures of the several secondary evaporators 223 may be selectively preset. As explained more fully hereinafter, the secondary evaporators 223 are operatively associated with the lading chamber 112 of the refrigerator container 100; whereby the lading contained in the lading chamber 112 is directly cooled by the secondary evaporators 223; and the resulting heat thus extracted from the lading chamber 122 is transferred to the secondary condenser 221, from which it is transferred to the primary evaporator 206, the primary evaporator 206 being arranged in good heat-exchange relation with the secondary condenser 221. Finally, the heat thus extracted by the primary evaporator 206 is transferred to the primary condenser 202, and therefrom, it is expelled to the exterior of the refrigerator container 100.

Returning now to the construction of the refrigerator container 100 and again referred to Fig. 5, it is noted that the secondary evaporators 223 comprised laterally extending and longitudinally spaced-apart hollow structures arranged within the lading chamber 112 and subdividing the same into corresponding subchambers disposed in longitudinally spaced-apart relation with respect to each other. As illustrated, the secondary evaporator 223 shown is disposed forwardly of the adjacent heatinsulating wall 115 and defines the rearmost of the lading subchambers'between'the elements 115 and 223, this lading subchamber being bounded 'by the heat-insulatingwall 115 and by the *cdrres snarng rea'r portions of the heat-insulating walls 119, 120, 12 1, etc. Also arranged inthe rearmost of the lading subchambers is insulating structure130 defining a chamber 131 in the upper rear portion thereof, in which there are arranged both the secondary condenser 221 and the primary evaporator 206. More particularly, in the upper portion of the heatinsulating wall adjacent to the machinery compartment 116, there is formed an opening 115a that is normally closed by a removable plug 132 formed of heatinsulating material, which plug 132 carries on the front side thereof the primary evaporator 206, while the secondary condenser 221 is carried on the rear side of the heat-insulating structure and arranged in cooperating relationship with respect to the primary evaporator 206.

More particularly, a base 133 is removably arranged in the machinery compartment 116 and supported by suitable ball casters 134; which base 133 carries a standard 135 to which the plug 132 is secured. Accordingly, when the base 133 is arranged in its supported position within the machinery compartment 116, the plug 132 fits into and closes the opening 115a formed in the heatinsulating wall 115 and projects the primary evaporator 206 carried by the plug 132 into the chamber 131 and into contact with the secondary condenser 221 arranged therein; whereby at this time, the primary evaporator 206 is arranged in good heat exchange relationship with the secondary condenser 221. As explained more fully hereinafter, when the base 133 is removed from the machinery compartment 116, the plug 132 is removed from the opening 115a provided in the heat-insulating wall 115 carrying the primary evaporator 206 therewith and out of the chamber 131. However, notwithstanding the removal of the plug 132 from the opening 115a provided in the heat-insulating wall 115 and the consequent opening of the chamber 131 to the atmosphere, the rear lading subchamber remains closed against the atmosphere by virtue of the arrangement of the heatinsulating structure 130 cooperating with the other heatinsulating walls 115, 119, 121, etc., thereby preventing the direct entrance of heat into the rearmost lading subchamber incident to placement or removal of the primary evaporator 206 with respect to the chamber 131 in which the secondary condenser 221 is fixedly arranged.

Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5, the base 133 that is removably arranged in the machinery compartment 116 also carries the compressor 201 and the primary condenser 202, together with 'an internal combustion engine 240 and an electric motor 241. As shown in Fig. 4, the internal combustion engine 240 is provided 'with an exhaust gas manifold 242 that is detachably connected by a disengageable fixture 243 to an exhaust gas stack 244 carried by the roof 114 and communicating with the atmosphere. Also the internal combustion engine 240 is provided with a fuel pump 245 that is connected to a fuel line 246; which fuel line 246 is connected to a fuel pipe 247 by a disen'gageable fixture 248. Further, the internal combustion engine 240 is provided with a drive shaft, not shown, clutch mechanism 249, and a driven shaft 250; whereby the drive shaft may be selectively connected and disconnected by the clutch mechanism 249 with respect to the driven shaft 250, the clutch mechanism 249 being provided with a suitable operating or control device, such, for example, as the manually operable control handle 251 illustrated. The electric motor 241 is provided with a rotor, not shown, having an operating shaft 251. One end of the operating shaft 251 is selectively connected by a coupling 252 to the driven shaft 250, and the other end of the operating shaft 251 is operatively connected by a coupling 253 to the driven shaft 254 of the compressor 201. The outer end of the compressor shaft 254 is operatively connected to a stub shaft 255 carried by the casing of the compressor 201 by an arrangement including a pair of pulleys and an associated belt, indicated generally at 256; and the outer end of th'e stub shaft 255 carries a fan 257 operatively associated with the primary condenser 202.

Arranged in the fuel compartment 117 is a laterally extending fuel tank 261 that is provided with an inlet conduit 262 and a sump 263 that is connected to the previously mentioned fuel pipe 247. The inlet conduit 262 is provided with a suitable removable cap or cover 264 so as to control the supply of liquid fuel into the fuel tank 261. For example, the fuel tank 261 may contain a suitable liquid petroleum fuel, such, for example, as propane; and of course, the propane is charged into the fuel tank 261 under pressure following removal of the cap 264. The propane in the fuel tank 261 is supplied therefrom via the fuel pipe 245, the fixture 248 and the fuel line 246 to the fuel pump 245 and therefrom to a suitable carburetor, not shown, operatively associated with the internal combustion engine 240, thereby to govern operation thereof. The exhaust gases from the internal combustion engine 240 proceed therefrom through the exhaust gas manifold 242 via the fixture 243 and the exhaust stack 244 to the atmosphere.

, In view of the foregoing description of the placement and removal of the base 133 from its supported position upon the platform 118 and from the machinery compartment 116, it will be understood that it is first necessary appropriately to connect or to disconnect the fixtures 243 and 248. In this connection, it is mentioned that a manually operable shutoff valve 265 is arranged in the fuel pipe 247 that should be first closed before disconnection of the fixture 248, so as to prevent the escape of the propane from the fuel tank 261. Moreover, it will be understood that the base 233 carries therewith the complete primary refrigerating apparatus including the compressor 201 and the primary condenser 202, as well as the internal combustion engine 240, the electric motor 241 and the fan 257.

In view of the foregoing, it will be understood that the compressor 201 may be operated either by the electric motor 241 or by the internal combustion engine 240, as desired. When the compressor 201 is operated by the electric motor 241, the clutch mechanism 249 is disengaged; and when the compressor 201 is operated by the internal combustion engine 240, the clutch mechanism 249 is engaged. Ordinarily the compressor 201 is operated by the internal combustion engine 240; however, the compressor 201 may be operated by the electric motor 241 when the refrigerator container 100 is in a storage warehouse or at any other location wherein electric power is available; and, of course, the electric motor 241 is provided with an associated electric cable, not shown, accommodating connection thereof to a suitable source of electric power supply.

As illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, the fuel tank 261 is directly supported upon blocks 266 carried by the floor 108, and is held in place by encircling bands 267. Also, the front wall of the fuel compartment 117 is provided with a steel plate 268 that cooperates with the supporting plate 118, so as to provide fire protection to the adjacent heat-insulating wall 115. Furthermore, suitable slots or openings 269 are provided in the floor 208 disposed below the fuel tank 261, thereby accommodating dumping or expelling of the propane from the fuel compartment 117 in the event of an explosion and rupture of the fuel tank 261. More particularly, the slots 269 for-med in the floor 108 are disposed directly below the fuel tank 261 and communicate through the hollow underframe 101 with the exterior; whereby in the event of the explosion mentioned, the burning propane may be discharged from the fuel compartment 117 to the exterior, so as to prevent damage to the refrigerating equipment 200 or to the lading carried in the lading chamber 122 of the refrigerator container 100. 7

Again referring to Figs. 3 and 4, the rear wall 113 of the outer metal shell of the refrigerator container 100 has upper and lower openings therein that are respectively commensurate with the upper and lower portions thereof, which upper and lower openings mentioned are provided with upper and lower closure members or doors 141 and 142. Preferably, the upper door 141 is hinged adjacent to the bottom edge thereof upon the rear edge of the divider 118 disposed between the upper machinery compartment :116 and the lower fuel compartment 117, as indicated at 143, and is provided 'with latch mechanism 144 adjacent to the upper edge thereof that cooperates with the adjacent upper portion of the rear wall 113. Similarly, the lower door 142 is hinged adjacent to the upper edge thereof upon the rear edge of the divider 118, as indicated at 145, and is provided with latch mechanism 146 adjacent to the lower edge thereof that cooperates with the lower adjacent portion of the rear wall 113. Of course, it will be understood that when the upper door 141 occupies its open position substantially the whole rear end of the adjacent machinery compartment 116 is exposed, thereby to render the machinery carried by th base 133 readily accessible from the exterior and also to accommodate removal of the base 133 through the adjacent opening provided in the upper rear wall 113. Similarly, when the lower door 142 occupies its open position, substantially the whole rear end of the adjacent fuel campartment 117 is exposed, thereby to render the fuel tank 261 carried by the floor 108 readily accessible from the exterior. Furthermoregreticulated screens 1 47 and 148 are respectively provided inthe central portions of the doors 141 and 142, thereby respectively to accommodate ventilation of the compartments 116 and 117 when the-doors 141 and 142 occupy their closed positions.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the opposite sides of the machinery compartment 116 are also readily accessible from the exterior through corresponding openings provided in the respective side walls 111 of the metal outer shell; each of which openings is provided with the associated side door 149; the side door 149-illustrated in Fig. 2 being hinged at the rear edge thereof, as indicated at 150, and being provided with a latch mechanism 151 at the front edge thereof that cooperates with the adjacent portion of the side Wall 111; and which side door 149 is also provided with a reticulated screen 152 to accommodate ventilation of the adjacent machinery compartment 116. Moreover, it is pointed out that the base 133, together with the machinery carried thereby may be readily removed from the machinery compartment 116 through either one of the side openings provided in the adjacent side wall 111 when the corresponding side door 149 occupies its open position. This arrangement is very advantageous, since it renders the machinery carried by the base 133 readily accessible from the exterior and readily removable from the machinery compartment 116 when the refrigerator container is mounted upon the railway car 20 in close proximity to another of the refrigerator containers 100, rendering the rear door 141 inaccessible, in the event the refrigerator container 100 mentioned occupies an intermediate position of the four refrigerator containers 100 carried by the railway car 20.

Similarly, the opposite sides of the fuel compartment 117 are also readily accessible from the exterior through corresponding openings provided in the respective side walls 111 of the metal outer shell; each of which openings is provided with an associated side door 153; the side door 153 illustrated in Fig. 2 being hinged at the rear edge thereof, as indicated at 154, and being provided with a latch mechanism 155 at the front edge thereof that cooper-ates with the adjacent portion of the side wall 111; and which side door 153 is also provided with a reticulated screen 156 to accommodate ventilation of the fuel compartment 117.

As previously noted, the three secondary evaporators 223 subdivide the lading chamber 122 into a plurality of longitudinally spaced-apart subchambers; and specifically, the arrangement provides four such longitudinally spaced-apart subchambers; which lading subchambers are accessible through each of the side walls 111 of the metal outer shell through corresponding side openings provided therein. For example, the rearmost lading subchamber dispose-d adjacent to the heat-insulating wall 115 may be somewhat larger than the other three lading subchambers; whereby this rearmost lading subchamber disposed adjacent to the heat-insulating wall 115 is accessible through two such side openings provided in each of the side walls 111; while each of the other three lading subchambers is accessible through a side opening individual thereto provided in each of the side walls 111. As illustrated in Fig. 2, the two side openings in the side wall 111 communicating with the rearmost lading subchamber are respectively provided with the two upstanding side doors 161 and 162; while the other three side openings in the side wall 111 respectively communicating with the other three lading subchambers are respectively provided with the three upstanding side doors 163, 164 and 165. The two side doors 161 and 162 may be hinged on the side wall 111 at the adjacent edges thereof as respectively indicated at 166 and 167; the two side doors 163 and 164 may be hinged on the side wall 111 at the adjacent edges thereof, as respectively indicated at 163 and 169; and the side door 165 may be hinged on the side wall 111 adjacent to the front wall 112, as indicated at 170. Also, the side doors 161 to 165, inclusive, are provided adjacent to the open edges thereof with associated latch mechanisms 171 to 175, inclusive. Of course, it will be understood that the side doors 161 to 165, inclusive, that are operatively associated with the lading subchambers have a thickness commensurate with the associated heat-insulating side wall 121 and contain suitable heat-insulating material; whereby the four lading subchambers are thoroughly heat-insulated with respect to the interior when the associated ones of the side doors thereof occupy their closed positions.

Of course, the end door 141 and the side doors 149 that are operatively associated with the machinery compartment 116, as well as the end door 142 and the side doors 153 that are operatively associated with the fuel compartment 117, may be formed fundamentally of sheet steel, since the two components 116 and 117 are otherwise ventilated to the atmosphere, as previously explained.

Referring now to Figs. and 11 of the drawings, the modified form of the refrigerator container 300 there illustrated is fundamentally of the same construction and arrangement as the refrigerator container 100 described above, except that in this case, it is contemplated that the lading chamber 322 defined in the heat-insulating walls of the body thereof is without subdivision into subchambers and is cooled directly from the primary evaporator of the associated refrigerating equipment. More particularly, as illustrated, the removable plug 332 that is provided in the opening 315a formed in the rear heatinsulating wall 315 directly carries the primary evaporator 406 of the associated refrigerating equipment; which primary evaporator 406 also carries an electric motor driven fan, indicated at 406a. The electric motor driven fan 496a is operative to produce circulation of air currents over the primary evaporator 406 and throughout the entire lading chamber 322, as indicated by the arrows 4%.

Also, in this modified construction of the refrigerator container 30%), each side wall 311 of the metal outer shell is provided with an enlarged side opening into the lading compartment 322; and each of the side openings is provided with a pair of heat-insulating double side doors 361 and 362. As illustrated, the side doors 361 and 362 are hinged adjacent to the respective rear and front edges thereof, as indicated at 363 and 364. Furthermore, the adjacent edges of the side doors 361 and 362 carry co,- operating elements 365 and 366 of latch mechanism;

whereby the two side doors 361 and 362 may be restrained in their closed positions retaining the lading compartment 322 in closed position.

As previously explained, in this form of the refrigerator container 300, the removable plug 332 directly carries the primary evaporator 406 of the refrigerating equipment, and the arrangement of the refrigerating equipment in the upper machinery compartment 316 provided in the rear end of the metal outer shell, and the arrangement of the lower fuel compartment 317 in the rear end of the metal outer shell, are both essentially the same as that described above in connection with the refrigerator container 100. As illustrated, the machinery compartment 316 is accessible through the adjacent end door 341 and through the adjacent side doors 349, as indicated in Fig. 10; and likewise, the fuel compartment 317 is accessible through the adjacent end door 342 and through the adjacent side doors 353, as indicated in Fig. 10.

The construction and arrangement of the refrigerator container 300 are otherwise fundamentally the same as that of the refrigerator container previously described, and in the interest of brevity, this description is not reiterated.

In view of the foregoing, it is apparent that there has been provided a refrigerator container of improved and simplified construction and arrangement that is readily adapted for use in a freight transportation system including different types of transportation vehicles, wherein the refrigerator container may be readily transferred between two of the transportation vehicles of different types and may be readily secured in place upon any one of the transportation vehicles for transportation thereby; and moreover, the arrangement of the refrigerator container accommodates the ready placement and removal of the associated refrigerating machinery thereof when the refrigerator container occupies its mounted position upon any one of the transportation vehicles mentioned and without removal of the refrigerator container from the associated supporting transportation vehicle.

While there has been described what is at present considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that various modifications may be made therein, and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator container adapted to be mounted on the frame of a vehicle for transportation thereon; said container comprising a substantially rectangular hollow rigid base, substantially box-like wall structure carried on the top of said base and enclosing a space disposed thereabove, heat-insulating structure arranged in said wall structure and dividing said enclosed space laterally into a machinery compartment and a lading chamber arranged in adjacent longitudinal disposition and so that said machinery compartment is located above one end portion of said base and said lading chamber is located above both the other end portion and the central portion of said base, said heat-insulating structure also enclosing said lading chamber and insulating it from both said machinery compartment and the outside, a plurality of longitudinally spaced-apart pairs of laterally spacedapart low rollers carried by said base and depending from the bottom thereof and adapted to engage the opposite top sides of the vehicle frame so as to mount said container on the top thereof, said rollers being adapted to roll longitudinally along the vehicle frame so as to facilitate placement and removal of said container with respect to its mounted position, two pairs of longitudinally spaced-apart fastening structures carried by said base and positioned above said rollers and located laterally inwardly with respect thereto and adapted to cooperate with fastening facility provided in the vehicle frame so as to accommodate selective holding and releasing of said container in its mounted position, said rollers and said fastening structures being arranged substantially symmetrically with respect to both the longitudinal center line and the lateral center line of said base so that in the mounted position of said container either end thereof may be located above a given end of the vehicle frame with at least one pair of said fastening structures located in cooperating relation with the fastening facility provided in the vehicle frame, a refrigerating machine carried by said base and including a compressor and a condenser both arranged in said machinery compartment and an evaporator arranged in said lading chamber, and a drive motor carried by said base and arranged in said machinery compartment and operatively connected to said compressor.

2. A refrigerator container adapted to be mounted on the frame of a vehicle for transportation thereon; said container comprising a substantially rectangular hollow rigid base, substantially box-like wall structure carried on the top of said base and enclosing a space disposed thereabove, heat-insulating structure arranged in said wall structure and dividing said enclosed space laterally into a machinery compartment and a lading chamber arranged in adjacent longitudinal disposition and so that said machinery compartment is located above one end portion of said base and said lading chamber is located above both the other end portion and the central portion of said base, said heat-insulating structure also enclosing said lading chamber and insulating it from both said machinery compartment and the outside, said base having a narrow centrally disposed and longitudinally extending saddle in the bottom thereof, a pluralityof longitudinally spaced-apart pairs of laterally spaced-apart low rollers carried by said base and depending from the bottom thereof and disposed within said saddle and adapted to engage the opposite top sides of the vehicle frame so as to mount said container on the top thereof, said rollers being adapted to roll longitudinally along the vehicle frame so as to facilitate placement and removal of said container with respect to its mounted position, said saddle having a depth that is greater than the downward projection of said rollers so that the outer side portions of said base disposed laterally on opposite sides of said saddle depend below the top of the vehicle frame upon which said container is mounted in order to effect a low center of gravity of said. container in its mounted position, two pairs of longitudinally spacedapart fastening structures carried by said base and positioned above said rollers and located laterally inwardly with respect thereto and adapted to cooperate with fastening facility provided in the vehicle frame so as to accommodate selective holding and releasing of said container in its mounted position, said rollers and said fastens ing structures being arranged substantially symmetrically with respect to both the longitudinal center line and the lateral center line of said base so that in the mounted position of said container either end thereof may be located above a given end of the vehicle frame with at least one pair of said fastening structures located in cooperating relation with the fastening facility provided in the vehicle frame, a refrigerating machine carried by said base and including a compressor and a condenser both arranged in said machinery compartment and an evaporator arranged in said lading chamber, and a drive motor carried by said base and arranged in said machinery compartment and operatively connected to said compressor.

3. A refrigerator container adapted to be mounted on the frame of a vehicle for transportation thereon; said container comprising a substantially rectangular hollow rigid base, substantially box-like wall structure carried on the top of said base and enclosing a space disposed thereabove, heat-insulating structure arranged in said wall structure and dividing said enclosed space laterally into a machinery compartment and a lading chamber arranged in adjacent longitudinal disposition and so that said machinery compartment is located above one end portion of said base and said lading chamber is located above both the other end portion and the central portion of said base, said heat-insulating structure also enclosing said lading chamber and insulating it from both said machinery compartment and the outside, said wall structure including a pair of opposed laterally extending end walls respectively disposed adjacent to the opposite ends of said base and a pair of opposed longitudinally extending side walls respectively disposed adjacent to the opposite sides of said base, said side walls having side openings formed therethrough and respectively communicating with the opposite sides of said machinery compartment, side closure members respectively carried by said side walls and respectively cooperating with said side openings, said side walls and the adjacent side portions of said heat-insulating structure having side doorways formed therethrough and respec tively communicating with the opposite sides of said lading chamber, heat-insulating side doors respectively carried by said side wall and respectively cooperating with said side doorways, a plurality of longitudinally spaced-apart pairs of laterally spaced-apart low rollers carried by said base and depending from the bottom thereof and adapted to engage the opposite top sides of the vehicle frame so as to mount said container on the top thereof, said rollers being adapted to roll longitudinally along the vehicle frame so as to facilitate placement and removal of said container with respect to its mounted position, two pairs of longitudinally spacedapart fastening structures carried by said base and positioned above said rollers and located laterally inwardly with respect thereto and adapted to cooperate with fastening facility provided in the vehicle frame so as to accommodate selective holding and releasing of said container in its mounted position, said rollers and said fastening structures being arranged substantially symmetrically with respect to both the longitudinal center line and the lateral center line of said base so that in the mounted position of said container either end thereof may be located above a given end of the vehicle'frame with at least one pair of said fastening structures located in cooperating relation with the fastening facility provided in the vehicle frame, a refrigerating machine normally carried by said base and including a compressor and a condenser both arranged in said machinery oompartment and an evaporator arranged in said lading chamber, said refrigerating machine being readily movable as a unit through either one of said side openings with the corresponding one of said side closure members in its open position, and a drive motor carried by said base and arranged in said machinery compartment and operatively connected to said compressor.

4. A refrigerator container adapted to be mounted on the frame of a vehicle for transportation thereon; said container comprising a substantially rectangular hollow rigid base, substantially box-like wall structure carried on the top of said base and enclosing a space disposed thereabove, heat-insulating structure arranged in said wall structure and dividing said enclosed space laterally into a machinery compartment and a lading chamber arranged in adjacent longitudinal disposition and so that said machinery compartment is located above one end portion of said base and said lading chamber is located above both the other end portion and the central portion of said base, said heat-insulating structure also enclosing said lading chamber and insulating it from both said machinery compartment and the outside, said wall structure including a pair of opposed laterally extending end walls respectively disposed adjacent to the opposite ends of said base and a pair of opposed longitudinally extending side walls respectively disposed adjacent to the opposite sides of said base, the one of said end walls disposed adjacent to said one end of said base having an end opening formed therethrough and communicating with 15 the adjacent end of said machinery compartment, an end closure member carried by said one end wall and cooperating with said end opening, said side walls and the adjacent side portions of said heat-insulating structure having side doorways formed therethrough and respectively communicating with the opposite sides of said lading chamber, heat-insulating side doors respectively carried by said side wall and respectively cooperating with said side doorways, a plurality of longitudinally spaced-apart pairs of laterally spaced-apart low rollers carried by said base and depending from the bottom thereof and adapted to engage the opposite top sides of the vehicle frame so as to mount said container on the top thereof, said rollers being adapted to roll longitudinally along the vehicle frame so as to facilitate placement and removal of said container with respect to its mounted position, two pairs of longitudinally spaced-apart fastening structures carried by said base and positioned above said rollers and located laterally inwardly with respect thereto and adapted to cooperate with fastening facility provided in the vehicle frame so as to accommodate selective holding and releasing of said container in its mounted position, said rollers and said fastener structures being arranged substantially symmetrically with respect to both the longitudinal center line and the lateral center line of said base so that in the mounted position of said container either end thereof may be located above a given end of the vehicle frame with at least one pair of said fastening structures located in cooperating relation with the fastening facility provided in the vehicle frame, a refrigerating machine normally carried by said base and including a compressor and a condenser both arranged in said machinery compartment and an evaporator arranged in said lading chamber, said refrigerating machine being readily movable as a unit through said end opening with said end closure member in its open position, and a drive motor carried by said base and arranged in said machinery compartment and operatively connected to said compressor.

5. A refrigerator container adapted to be mounted on the frame of a vehicle for transportation thereon; said container comprising a substantially rectangular hollow rigid base, substantially box-like wall structure carried on the top of said base and enclosing a'space disposed thereabove, heat-insulating structure arranged in said wall structure and dividing said enclosed space laterally into a machinery compartment and a lading chamber arranged in adjacent longitudinal disposition and so that said machinery compartment is located above one end portion of said base and said lading chamber is located above both the other end portion and the central portion of said base, said heat-insulating structure also enclosing said lading chamber and insulating it from both said machinery compartment and the outside, a plurality of longitudinally spaced-apart pairs of laterally spaced-apart low rollers carried by said base and depending from the bottom thereof and adapted to engage the opposite top sides of the vehicle frame so as to mount said container on the top thereof, said rollers being adapted to roll longitudinally along the vehicle frame so as to facilitate placement and removal of said container with respect to its mounted position, fastening structure carried by said base and adapted to cooperate with fastening facility provided in the vehicle frame so as to accommodate selective holding and releasing of said container in its mounted position, said wall structure having a wall opening therethrough communicating with said machinery compartment, a closure member carried by said Wall structure and cooperating with said wall opening, a removable supporting member having a normal position disposed in said machinery compartment and carried by said base, said supporting member being readily movable into and out of said machinery compartment through said wall opening with said closure member in:its open position, said heat-insulating structure having a port therethrough communicating between said lading chamber and said machinery compartment, a removable heat-insulating plug cooperating with said port and having a normal position closing the same, said plug being carried by said supporting member and movable therewith into and out of said machinery compartment and arranged on said supporting member so that said plug is moved into its normal position when said supporting member is moved into its normal position, a refrigerating machine carried by said supporting member and movable therewith into and out of said machinery compartment, said refrigerating machine including a compressor and a condenser both arranged on the machinery compartment side of said plug and an evaporator arranged on the lading chamber side of said plug so that when said supporting member and said plug occupy their normal positions both said compressor and said condenser are disposed in said machinery compartment and said evaporator is disposed in said lading chamber, and a drive motor carried by said supporting member and movable therewith into and out of said machinery compartment, said drive motor being operatively connected to said compressor and arranged on the machinery compartment side of said plug so that when said supporting member occupies its normal position said drive motor is disposed in said machinery compartment.

6. The refrigerator container set forth in claim 5, and further comprising means for circulating a current of air through said lading chamber and into contact with said evaporator disposed in said lading chamber.

7. A refrigerator container adapted to be mounted on the frame of a vehicle for transportation thereon; said container comprising a substantially rectangular hollow rigid base, substantially box-like wall structure carried on the top of said base and enclosing a space disposed thereabove, heat-insulating structure arranged in said wall structure and dividing said enclosed space laterally into a machinery compartment and a lading chamber arranged in adjacent longitudinal disposition and so that said machinery compartment is located above one end portion of said base and said lading chamber is located above both the other end portion and the ceneral portion of said base, said heat-insulating structure also enclosing said lading chamber and insulating it from both said machinery compartment and the outside, a plurality of longitudinally spaced-apart pairs of laterally spaced-apart low rollers carried by said base and depending from the bottom thereof and adapted to engage the opposite top sides of the vehicle frame so as to mount said container on the top thereof, said rollers being adapted to roll longitudinally along the vehicle frame so as to facilitate placement and removal of said container with respect to its mounted position, fastening structure carried by said base and adapted to cooperate with fastening facility provided in the vehicle frame so as to accommodate selective holding and releasing of said container in its mounted position, said Wall structure including a pair of opposed laterally extending end walls respectively disposed adjacent to the opposite ends of said base and a pair of opposed longitudinally extending side walls respectively disposed adjacent to the opposite sides ofsaid base, said side walls having side openings formed therethrough and respectively communicating with the opposite sides of said machinery compartment, side closure members respectively carried by said side walls and respectively cooperating with said side openings, a removable supporting member having a normal position disposed in said machinery compartment and carried by said base, said supporting member being readily movable into and out of said machinery compartment through either one of said side openings with the associated one of said side closure members .in its open position, said heat-insulating structure havinga port therethrough communicating between said lading chamber and said machinery compartment, a removable heat-insulating plug cooperating with said port and having a normal position closing the same, said plug being carried by said supporting member and movable therewith into and out of said machinery compartment and arranged on said supporting member so that said plug is moved into its normal position when said supporting member is moved into its normal position, a refrigerating machine carried by said supporting member and movable therewith into and out of said machinery compartment, said refrigerating machine including a compressor and a condenser both arranged on the machinery compartment side of said plug and an evaporator arranged on the lading chamber side of said plug so that when said supporting member and said plug occupy their normal positions both said compressor and said condenser are disposed in said machinery compartment and said evaporator is disposed in said lading chamber, and a drive motor carried by said supporting member and movable therewith into and out of said machinery compartment, said drive motor being operatively connected to said compressor and arranged on the machinery compartment side of said plug so that when said supporting member occupies its normal position said drive motor is disposed in said machinery compartment.

8. A refrigerator container adapted to be mounted on the frame of a vehicle for transportation thereon; said container comprising a substantially rectangular hollow rigid base, substantially box-like wall structure carried on the top of said base and enclosing a space disposed thereabove, heat-insulating structure arranged in said wall structure and dividing said enclosed space laterally into a machinery compartment and a lading chamber arranged in adjacent longitudinal disposition and so that said machinery compartment is located above one end portion of said base and said lading chamber is located above both the other end portion and the central portion of said base, said heat-insulating structure also enclosing said lading chamber and insulating it from both said machinery compartment and the outside, a plurality of longitudinally spaced-apart pairs of laterally spacedapart low rollers carried by said base and depending from the bottom thereof and adapted to engage the opposite top sides of the vehicle frame so as to mount said container on the top thereof, said rollers being adapted to roll longitudinally along the vehicle frame so as to facilitate placement and removal of said container with respect to its mounted position, fastening structure carried by said base and adapted to cooperate with fastening facility provided in the vehicle frame so as to accommodate selective holding and releasing of said container in its mounted position, a substantially horizontally disposed supporting member arranged in said machinery compartment and dividing the same into upper and lower sections, a refrigerating machine carried by said supporting member and including a compressor and a condenser both arranged in the upper section of said machinery compartment and an evaporator arranged in said lading chamber, an internal combustion engine carried by said supporting member and arranged in the upper section of said machinery compartment and operatively connectible to said compressor, and a fuel storage tank arranged in the lower section of said machinery compartment and operatively connected to supply fuel to said engine.

9. The refrigerator container set forth in claim 8, wherein said Wall structure has an enlarged opening therein disposed below said fuel tank and communicating through said hollow base between the lower section of said machinery compartment and the outside so as to accommodate the ready escape of burning fuel and the combustion products thereof in the event of an explosion of the fuel contained in said fuel tank and rupture of said fuel tank resulting therefrom, and wherein said sup- 18 so that it constitutes a fire shield preventing the spread of a fire from the lower section of said machinery compartment into the upper section thereof.

10. A refrigerator container adapted to be mounted on the frame of a vehicle for transportation thereon; said container comprising a substantially rectangular hollow rigid base, substantially box-like wall structure carried on the top of said base and enclosing a space disposedvthere-r above, heat-insulating structure arranged in said wall structure and dividing said enclosed space laterally into a machinery compartment and a lading chamber arranged in adjacent longitudinal disposition and so that saidmachinery compartment is located above one end portion of said base and said lading chamber is located above both the other end portion and the central portion of said base, said heat-insulating structure also enclosing said'lading chamber and insulating it from both said machinery compartment and the outside, mounting structure carried by the bottom of said base and adapted to engage the top of the vehicle frame so as to mount said container on the top thereof, fastening structure carried by said base and adapted to cooperate with fastening facility provided in the vehicle frame so as to accommodate selective holding and releasing of said container in its mounted position, a primary refrigerating machine carried by said base and including a compressor and a primary condenser and a primary evaporator, a drive motor carried by said base and operatively connected to said compressor, said compressor and said primary condenser and said drive motor being arranged in said machinery compartment, a secondary refrigerating system including a secondary condenser and a secondary evaporator, said primary evaporator and said secondary condenser being arranged in good heat exchange relation with each other, said secondary evaporator being arranged in said lading chamber.

11. The refrigerator container set forth in claim 10, wherein said secondary evaporator comprises a series of upstanding laterally extending and longitudinally spacedapart cold plates arranged in said lading chamber and dividing the same into a plurality of intervening laterally extending and longitudinally spaced-apart sections.

12. The refrigerator container set forth in claim 10, and further comprising additional heat-insulating structure defining a heat-exchange pocket in said lading chamber and establishing only limited direct heat transfer therethrough between said lading chamber and said heatexchange pocket, and wherein both said primary evaporator and said secondary condenser are arranged in said heat-exchange pocket.

13. The refrigerator container set forth in claim 10, and further comprising a primary control system for selectively governing the operation of said primary refrigerating machine, and a secondary control system for selectively governing the operation of said secondary refrigerating system.

14. A refrigerator container adapted to be mounted on the frame of a vehicle for transportation thereon; said container comprising a substantially rectangular hollow rigid base, substantially box-like wall structure carried on the top of said base and enclosing a space disposed thereabove, heat-insulating structure arranged in said wall structure and dividing said enclosed space laterally into a machinery compartment and a lading chamber arranged in adjacent longitudinal disposition and so that said machinery compartment is located above one end portion of said base and said lading chamber is located above both the other end portion and the central portion of said base, said heat-insulating structure also enclosing said lading chamber and insulating it from both said machinery compartment and the outside, mounting structure carried by the bottom of said base and adapted to engage the top of the vehicle frame so as to mount said container on the top thereof, fastening structure carried by said base and adapted to cooperate with fastening facility porting member is of substantially imperforate structure 15 provided in the vehicle frame so as to accommodate selective holding and releasing of said container in its mounted position, a removable supporting member having a normal position disposed in said machinery compartment and supported by said base, a primary refrigerating machine carried by said supporting member and including a compressor and a primary condenser and a primary evaporator, a drive motor carried by said supporting member and operatively connected to said compressor, said compressor and said primary condenser and said drive motor being arranged in said machinery compartment when said supporting member is in its normal position, and a secondary refrigerating system carried by said wall structure and including a secondary condenser and a secondary evaporator, said secondary evaporator being arranged in said lading chamber, said primary evaporator and said secondary condenser being disposed in good heat exchange relation when said supporting member is in its 20 normal position, whereby said primary refrigerating machine in its entirety constitutes a readily replaceable auxiliary of said container and said secondary refrigerating system in its entirety constitutes a normally permanent fixture of said container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,187,270 Kirk Jan, 16, 1940 2,540,956 Morrison Feb. 6, 1951 2,780,923 Jones "Feb. 12, 1957 2,881,600 Elving Apr. 14, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 211,163 Australia Oct. 24, 1957 

